Sympathy for the Demon
by Prestige Productions
Summary: Now back inside the walls of her home in Atlas, Weiss struggles to rebuild herself in the wake of Beacon's fallout. Willing to push herself to whatever lengths necessary to gain her freedom from her gilded cage. Even turning to an old foe for guidance. *ON INDEFINITE HIATUS*
1. We Are Who We Are

_**First of all, WOW. That Lancaster fic went over better than Roman Reigns at a house show in Bumblescum Wyoming, and now thanks to fan demand and a personal need to outgrow stupid things like "Ships I like and Dislike" it's gonna be a full fledged fic of its own too, Lancaster fans..please be excited.**_

 _ **Now, with the pleasantries out of the way I welcome you to the third installment of "Volume 4 outfit" inspired fics. This time focusing on everyone's favorite heiress (and now my #1 RWBY girl, knocking off the red hood herself to claim the crown.) specifically, the alternate and ritzy evening gown version.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, I in no way claim ownership nor do I believe my fanfics to be superior to the impending plot of Volume 4. Bálor Moonlight belongs to me, please direct your hate mail to my P.O. Box in Bumblescum Wyoming.**_

 _ **(The following chapter takes place BEFORE the events of Separation)**_

 _I used to think I was better._

 _The fact that I stood at the top of the world gave me confidence._

 _Even though deep down I was afraid._

 _But then I found friends, I learned to let others in, and the fear became courage._

 _Courage is what keeps me strong._

 _Courage is what keeps me sane._

 _Keeps me fighting against an always shrinking, gilded cage._

Weiss Schnee had taken her separation from Team RWBY with the poise and grace that only a woman of her upbringing could give: On the outside, she had taken her return home with little resistance and had slipped right into the role of being a dutiful daughter for the press and the cameras, sometimes even serving as the family representative for more minor SDC functions such as the opening of a supermarket and other nonsensical things that her father needed a quaint face for. But inside; past the facade of being a dutiful heiress and loving daughter, there was a young woman dying to break out of the gilded cage that was the Schnee family manor and reunite with the friends she had left behind.

However, that would prove to be impossible for as soon as their private plane touched the landing pad her father Gideon Schnee would confiscate Myrtenaster and her scroll, (something which held pictures, video snippets, and various other things that reminded her of her happier days alongside Team RWBY and the rest of the friends she'd made at Beacon) while placing her on a very strict schedule that allowed for very little personal time.

 _"It's for the best dear, better to busy yourself with work then to dwell on the horrible events of that school."_ The pale-haired young woman would sigh as she remembered her father's words with visible disdain, the younger heiress knew all too well the true meaning behind such an innocuous phrase as that one: I told you this wouldn't work, you're better off here where you can embrace the path that I have set for you. "It's bad enough that there's already talks about enrolling me into Atlas just to "properly train me", as if the teachers at Beacon weren't all amazingly trained Huntsman and Huntresses in their own right!" Weiss would be visibly fuming by the time she reached the front of the line as she slammed down her charge card onto the wooden desk, before quickly turning on the charming smile that she reserved for public events. "One Blue Lavender tea, to go please."

The poor barista on the other side of the counter would nod slowly before taking her charge card and running it through the scanner, frowning when it buzzed audibly in decline and deciding to run it once again. "I'm sorry Miss Schnee, our machines have been acting pretty wonky all week. I'm sure things will be fine in a second." He would say this even as the charge card over and over again, the buzz constantly repeating as her level of annoyance grew and the line of people behind her began to get audibly impatient.

"I-I'm sorry Miss Schnee, it seems your card is being declined for reasons that aren't specified by our machine." The line of people behind her would groan loudly upon hearing this as the heiress just hung her head in shame, flashes of a similar incident occurring at the Vytal Festival that brought a fleeting smile to her face as she briefly remembered being surrounded by those who truly cared about her. "…Miss Schnee, is everything okay?"

Weiss would sigh sadly as she held her hand out to accept the now-defunct charge card she had been using that day, clearly this was a sign from her father that not even the briefest of stops would be tolerated. "I'm fine…absolutely..fine." She would clench the card tightly as soon as she felt the piece of plastic make contact with her hand, trying her best to stay completely calm in the face of such despair. "I just wanted some tea..to calm my nerves."

"I'll pay for the lady's drink, as well as everyone else who's standing in this line." The person behind Weiss would speak up suddenly, before being cut off by a brief cheer as the stranger laid down his own charge card and sparing a glance at the heiress.

 _"His eye..it's burned badly."_ She would keep quiet as the barista ran the other charge card and sighed as it was cleared without effort, further adding to her disheartened mood as the charge card was handed back to its owner. "Thank you, this sort of thing usually doesn't happen to me but, I guess today just really isn't my day?" The pale-haired woman would calmly look over the stranger's shoulder to see her newly appointed security team looking down at their scrolls impatiently, after all they were being well paid to make sure that she adhered to her rigid schedule.

"If you're wondering about the eye, suffice it to say that I got on the wrong end of a fight during that big kerfuffle at Beacon Academy." The stranger would smile from beneath the strange hood that he was now wearing, although his mentioning of the downfall of Beacon would pique her interest. "Doctors said I was lucky to be alive considering what happened to me." He would grin slightly before noticing the barista placing her tea down upon the counter, nodding quietly and gesturing to the drink waiting behind her. "I think that's your cue princess."

Weiss's pale blue eyes would widen at the nickname the newcomer would use, recognizing it immediately as she reached for the hood of the stranger's cloak before the world before her exploded in a flash of color.

"Yo, you still with me here Princess?"

The heiress would shake her head quickly as her mind snapped back to the present, a dull throbbing in her skull as she pounded the training mat beneath her. "I told you to stop calling me that, we're not in Beacon anymore..and I sure as hell am not that same girl I was a few months ago." She would graciously accepted the hand up that was being offered to her, slowly getting back to her feet and looking into the amber eye of her sparring partner and former enemy. "Besides Bálor, I'm nowhere near as important as royalty..not these days anyhow." Weiss would frown as she dusted herself off and reassumed a fighting stance, facing the silver-haired wolf Faunus who was calmly admiring her form.

"Hate to break it to you Weiss, but I didn't pick the name "princess" out of some royalty schtick. It was actually a spur of the moment decision." He would grin sheepishly for a moment before getting back into instructor mode once again. "You have to be mindful of your surroundings at all times, today it was just a love tap to the side of your head but tomorrow might end up being my boot..or god forbid a bullet." He would assume a more firm stance than hers, indicating that he was once again deciding to go all out on his pupil.

The decision for her to accept any type of hand to hand combat training had been an unwelcome one for the heiress, as she had been classically trained to handle the more distinguished weapons like her Myrtenaster. _"I always saw hand to hand combat as a more brutish way of handling things, left to similarly minded people like Yang."_

She would duck under a roundhouse kick thrown in her direction and counter with a low kick to his stationary leg, only to feel the familiar pushback of his Semblance as she was sent tumbling to the ground face first. _"And clearly this is just proving my case!"_

The heiress would slam her hands on the training mat once again before standing up and glaring daggers at the Faunus, the burn scar adorning his eye slightly unsettling her for a moment before marching up to the taller man. "I thought we agreed on a no Semblance rule!"

Bálor would roll his one good eye sarcastically, it wasn't the first time that she had blown a gasket during her sparring sessions and it was unlikely that it would be the last time.

"Rules are made for tournaments Weiss, out in the battlefield anything goes. And while I may call these little sessions of ours "sparring", rest assured that I'm preparing you for the real nitty-gritty of the world." He would stop a kick to his nether regions with a quick sigh as he exerted a fraction of his Semblance to push her leg back to the ground, but would feel the harsh sting of an open-hand slap to his cheek. "That's more like it!" He would smirk and grab her wrist as she attempted a second slap, pulling her closer to his body and planting a kiss upon her lips before she could go for another strike.

Weiss would make a small noise of contention before giving in and returning his kiss with slightly more fervor, wrapping her arms around his neck and trying not to giggle as his silver locks tickled her fingers. "Hehe, your hair's gotten so much longer now. Might be time to trim it back a little." She would bury her face into his shoulder and breathe in his scent even as she felt him beginning to nibble at her earlobe playfully. He was most certainly a hard taskmaster when it came to her training but it was the quiet moments of intimacy where he often showed his true colors: a kind and gentle soul who wished for nothing more than to love her and be loved by her in return.

And love him she did.

"I still can't believe that we're…like this." The heiress would blush a little as she squirmed uncomfortably in his arms, causing him to start relaxing his grip before she snuggled closer to the silver-maned Faunus. "I put you through so much bullshit back in the past, what would possess you to even **tolerate** me? Let alone love me?" She would sigh as he slipped down to a sitting position against the wall, falling into his lap without a second thought as he wrapped his arms around her gently.

"Oh my dear Princess, who were we back then doesn't compare to the people we've become today. I saw the change from who you were to who you are and grew to love you all the same." The wolf would gently kiss the top of her head as he closed his eyes and relax his tired muscles, even as she continued to list the many reasons that their relationship shouldn't exist.

"I…I tried to have you **KILLED** , like some evil crime lord trying to off their competition!" The heiress could feel the tears beginning to build up in her pale blue eyes as she remembered the woman she used to be: Someone who felt driven to be closer to her partner and to hell with anyone who dared to get in her way! "And yet here you are, cherishing me like I was Ruby or Yang-" Weiss would mentally facepalm as she felt his body tense around her, the sisters had proven to be quite the sore spot for her amber-eyed beloved. The brawler in particular often sent his blood into a boil and his Semblance into a fury; he had done little to explain the reason why his outbursts would be so violent other then the fact that she had said "the kind of thing that you can't take back".

"You know what I meant..I'm just surprised you could show me any kind of affection given our less than stellar track record with one another. Besides, it's not like you get a free pass on this either." She would give him a cheeky smile as her fingers gently danced across his burned cheek, despite the fact that he couldn't feel her loving gesture due to his injury. "I seem to recall a certain someone saying that they were "too sweeet" for me back in the day."

Bálor would almost break into a laugh upon hearing one of the Bullet Club's many catchphrases, his body once again relaxing as his remembered the good old days of life as an academy student. "If the Weiss from back then had heard you just now, I'm pretty sure she would've tried to slap you silly." He would chuckle quietly to himself, even as she gave a playful elbow to his ribs. "Although my past self would've probably bowed at your feet in worship, like the pale-haired goddess I know you are."

This would cause her to blush somewhat before shifting her position to better straddle his waist, ignoring his raised eyebrow of silent protest as she leaned forward to kiss him passionately as her eyes filled with hunger. "First I'm a princess, now I'm a goddess, you sure do enjoy using pet names a lot don't you?" She would pout a little as she sat back up and looked down at him with her own eyebrow raised. "Kind of makes me wonder if you don't like my name at all?"

The wolf Faunus would sigh softly as he reached for her hand, their fingers lacing together out of subconscious habit. "Ahh mon chere, it's because I adore your name so much that I dare not say it so liberally. For a name as precious as yours should be spoken with reverence, much like the name of the good lord above." His amber eyes would shimmer with unbridled love and affection he was feeling for the woman above him, for even though the path to their union had been fractured, uncertain, and at times fated to be blown aside by a gentle breeze, there was not one thing that he would change about it.

 _"It's like that stupid saying I read in a poetry book once: All paths lead to home. Or was it Rome?"_

He would be snapped out of his reverie by the sensation of Weiss's breath against his neck, a rare position for her to take as he was usually the dominant partner of the pair.

"Say my name..just once, say my name..please!" Her voice would barely raise above a breathy whisper, but the desperation was evident as she pressed her body against his.

Bálor would smile as he leaned closer to her ear with a loving smile before finally relenting to her pleas.

"Weiss…" With that last breathy whisper he would let go of his inhibitions, reaching to take off the faded t-shirt he had given her to wear for training. Only for the pair to be stopped by the sound of a very unhappy Winter Schnee, who looked down at the lovers with a condescending glare upon her face.

"Why is it that every time I come into this room I find you two in a less then teacherly position?" The older heiress would shake her head as the two of them both laughed nervously at her insinuation. "I've come to remind you two that we have dinner with General Ironwood and a few other Atleasian Dignitaries tonight, please be changed and ready to go sooner rather than later." She would gently close the door behind her despite the consternation in her voice, knowing better than to rock the boat any further than she already had.

"And just when were you planning to tell me about this whole dignitary dinner dealy?" The wolf would growl slightly as he looked up at the younger heiress in annoyance, who simply pouted in annoyance as she heard the growl in his voice. "You know I don't do well around those people, and you know why that is!"

Weiss would sigh sadly as she held his trembling hands in her own, wanting to complain about the sweat on his palms but knowing that such an action would only worsen his mood further. "I know sweetheart, and I begged my sister to try and have it rescheduled but you know Gideon..he works on strict timetables and won't budge unless it benefits him somehow." She would lean down and plant a small kiss upon his lips before getting out of his lap and standing up with a sultry smile, even as he slowly got back to his feet while popping a few joints in his back. "Besides, I'm planning to wear that dress you like. You know the one."

This would pique Bálor's interest, his body tingling with anticipation as he envisioned the outfit in question adorning her form. "You mean **that dress?** "

Weiss would smile confidently, knowing that she had gotten him onboard as she gave him a wink before heading off to the washroom. "Be ready to go in half an hour~" She would sing that last bit, knowing that despite he needed no more incentive aside from the dress that a little more prodding couldn't hurt the situation.

A half hour later and Bálor would be tapping his foot in anticipation of Weiss's arrival, now dressed in a proper jet black three piece suit with a red tie that was adorned with the Schnee family's symbol and even a pair of well-shined (if slightly uncomfortable) dress shoes. His silver-hair tied back in a ponytail reminiscent of his former classmate Lie Ren.

"Weiss..? Sweetheart are you ready to go-" His questions would fall on deaf ears as the heiress stepped out of the washroom wearing a deep blue dress that shimmered slightly in the right light, sapphire accents adorning the upper body while the lower portion showed some skin and the platform heels she wore only exemplified her Goddess-like stature as her pale white hair flowed out past her waist as she flashed a radiant smile as the wolf Faunus fell to his knees and made the sign of the cross. "I am so not worthy…"

Weiss would roll her eyes as the amber-eyed young man knelt before her like she were Venus herself, rising from the ocean blue. "Every time, he does this every time I wear this dress." Still, even she couldn't help but smile at the raw emotion and vulnerability that came with the act. It was a side of him that her past self would've dismissed as a cheap attempt to curry her favor. but as she saw him now with a clearer mind and open heart, she knew that such boisterous displays were his way of showing how much he adored her and the person that she had become following that horrible day.

"Get up you dolt, we're going to be late." She would say this while placing her hand gently on his shoulder and a loving smile adorning her face, blushing slightly as he stood up and took her hand in his. "After all, your Goddess deemed you worthy ages ago."

 ** _Now THIS is a labor of love, especially after spending the majority of my day (From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) stuck in writer's block. It wasn't until I looked over her Volume 4 outfit art on both phone and comp that inspiration finally decided to Superkick me in the face! (it's 3:30 A.m. right now btw) and I want to go on record to say that Weiss's outfit is my favorite of the four._**

 ** _One more Outfit fic to go, and by far it's going to be the toughest on a multitude of levels._**

 ** _And on a final note I pose a question to the fans: what would YOU call the shipping of BálorxWeiss (besides "trash", cuz I KNOW that's coming) Right now my only ideas are Arctic Wolf and Fenrir (anyone who knows Norse Mythology can see the method in this madness)_**

 ** _Ta-Ta for now!_**


	2. A Matter of Trust part one

_**My God, I keep meaning to go for shorter updates and then the plot gets away from me, then by the time I'm done trying to catch it, it's after midnight and I gotta make a part 2**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Rooster Teeth owns RWBY, the following story is nothing more than the ramblings of a very exhausted Author**_

 __General James Ironwood was a man who had been forged in the heat of battle, both against the creatures of Grimm as well as his fellow headmasters. It was one of the many things that had made him a master manipulator in the political circle, at least that was until the downfall of Beacon Academy. That was the moment that everything changed for the once-proud man: Starting with the destruction of the android girl known as Penny, it exposed the nation as the creators of the first synthetic Aura user. And while James had been left stunned by the crowd's reaction to the revelation, it only worsened when a faceless villainess behind it all had begun to monologue to the crowd in attendance that the headmasters could no longer be trusted, nor could the Huntsmen and Huntresses. But perhaps the biggest nail in his metaphorical coffin was the sudden change in the programming of his Knights and Paladins, who had turned their weapons away from the Grimm and the White Fang and instead had begun assaulting the people inside the city of Vale as well as the students back at the Academy.

 _"It's strange, to be here at the manor when I'm supposed to be prepping for a court marshal in the morning."_ The older man would straighten the lapel of his jacket as he waited outside for a servant to allow him access to the dining room, only to see the younger heiress walking arm-in-arm with her silver-maned guardian.

"Miss Schnee, Bálor..it's good to see you two out and about this evening." His eyes would roam over the dress that the pale-haired woman was wearing, it was definitely very flattering to her figure and the sapphire accents seemed to enhance the pale blue of her eyes. As for the male beside her, he seemed to have chosen a contrasting suit that was highlighted by the red of his tie and the tinted red of his glasses that was completed by a jet black suit.

 _"Black and White, Light and Darkness, beauty and her beast..so to speak."_ Ironwood would stay quiet as the pair each acknowledged his presence in his own way with Weiss nodding her head quietly and giving the man a polite smile while her black-suited companion gave a stoic nod of respect before staring past the General outright. _"I don't blame you for the chilly reception son: The Vacuan military tried to make you into a weapon and strip away your humanity, not to mention everything that happened during The Fall."_ James would return the nod with one of his own before a woman in a maid outfit would gesture for them to accompany her to the dining room, the soon-to-be disgraced military man would look around at the palatial hallway with a slight smirk. Even during a PR crisis Gideon was always thinking about his own image and making improvements to the manor from the top down: Everything from the shimmering white of the material lining their walls, to even his own daughter's updated wardrobe dedicated to catching the eye of any potential clients.

"Ahh James; it's so good of you to join us this evening, especially given the pending unpleasantness that's occurring tomorrow." The patriarch of the SDC would then look to his second-born with a smile of approval, completely ignoring the silver-haired individual who was standing beside her. "And Weiss darling, you look simply ravishing this evening!" He would walk over to meet his daughter as she was approaching him, the wolf Faunus melting in the background as the two exchanged idle pleasantries as if they were prospective business partners instead of family.

"I'm glad you approve father, I figured since it was so rare for us to be having guests over that I should lead with my best foot forward." The pale-haired woman would give a placid smile of adoration, despite internally fuming at the fact that she had to gussy herself up like some doll to use for her father's own machinations. But it was the price of being back behind the pristine bars of her prison, her life was no longer in her own hands and that things were now being scheduled for her down to the last minute. Even her personal time was being parceled out like the proverbial carrot, and whatever free time she was allotted was spent training in secret with the only two people she knew she could trust.

The first was her older sibling Winter, for while she had taken the path of most students who had passed through the walls of Atlas Academy and had joined the ranks of the military. But unlike their father who was laser-focused on carving out proper places for his little girls. Winter could see the spark of rebellion had begun to fester inside the younger heiress and subtlety encouraged her to seek her schooling elsewhere, and for a time it seemed that everything was finally beginning to look up for the younger girl. But just like everything in Remnant following The Fall, her hopes and dreams would be dashed upon finding herself packed up and inside of her father's private jet bound for Atlas.

"This is an absolute disaster, how could Ironwood's people have let this happen?!" Weiss would wince as she listened to her father continue to fluster and fume over the situation at hand, the Atlysian automated machines may have been used strictly for military purposes but Schnee Dust Company resources had been involved in their making. It was a matter of public record, and any blowback that their tin soldiers accrued were also dealt to him as well. "It's bad enough that those filthy Faunus were involved in this mess, but now the public believes we're responsible for building death machines!" His hands would grip the armrests of his seat violently, causing the younger heiress to hesitate before finally deciding to speak her piece.

"Father, I'm sure the people of Remnant will forgive you once the panic dies down. You shouldn't be blowing a gasket like this, not when there are more important things to focus on." Weiss's expression would turn sour as she looked out the window, her heart was still heavy with the guilt of letting herself be bullied away from Ruby's bedside. The crimsonette had been rendered comatose following the intense white light that had suddenly erupted from the top of Beacon Tower, her heart nearly coming to a stop from the shock of the situation at hand. "People are hurting everywhere right now and yet here we are, safe in the privacy of a small jet and making our way back to Atlas with our tails between our legs." She would turn to look at the older businessman to find that his grip upon the armrests were finally relaxed, a gentle rhythm of breathing could be heard as the pale-haired woman simply shook her head in disbelief at his actions, quickly taking out her scroll and deciding to distract herself by looking back at old photos, school notes, anything to keep herself from dry heaving in anger at the man's behavior.

Only to choke back a sob as the first thing she saw was her screensaver, which was a picture of herself with her arms wrapped around Ruby in a triumphant hug following RWBY's victory over Team ABRN in the Vytal Festival. The happy smile on the younger woman's face would cause her to think back on what happened following the return to Vale, and how everyone was frantic to find any trace of the friends they had lost.

"Please, has anybody seen a girl named Ruby Rose? Wears a red hood, carries a scythe?" The heiress would continue to look around the packed emergency room for her missing partner, finding familiar faces and doing her best to reassure those in similar straits but always keeping her gaze on the entrance just in case Ruby came running in.

"Weiss! Thank God you're alright!" She would turn around to find Jaune making his way over to her while avoiding the people scattered around him, a grateful smile doing little to offset the lines of worry upon his face. "Did you hear anything, is Pyrrha okay?" His voice would crack as the worry made itself even more apparent, he had been the one to beg the heiress to save his partner after the spear maiden had sent him back to Vale inside of a rocket-propelled locker.

"I'm sorry Jaune, but I haven't heard anything from Ruby since she decided to go fight that giant Grimm." She would withhold the detail involving the flash of light from atop the tower, still unsure of how to explain it herself. "But this is Ruby we're talking about, I'm sure she managed to find Pyrrha and are making their way back right now." But her words would do little to ease the discomfort she sensed from the fair-haired knight, watching as he sighed in agitation and slightly balled a fist.

"You don't understand Weiss..I've seen the things that woman can do, the kind of power she has!" His hands would grip her slender shoulders tightly as his expression began to turn panicked. "I know how good Pyrrha and Ruby are as fighters but this..this witch is on a whole different level than anyone we've fought!"

Weiss would do her best to free herself from her friend's grasp, not expecting the usually kind-hearted man to be so frazzled and terrified. "Jaune..stop. You're hurting me!" The woman's pained expression would snap him out of whatever frenzy he found himself in as he stepped back with his mouth agape, he would look down at his trembling hands with a dumbfounded expression. "I'm sorry Weiss…I'm just terrified of what may happen to them." He would mutter this quietly before walking off to try and compose himself and leaving Weiss to sink into further worry, taking a step forward to go after and console her friend before being startled by the sudden thud of the ER doors bursting open.

Back in the present, Weiss would be sitting at the dinner table with her father and Ironwood in the middle of a conversation.

"Dammit Gideon, you can't expect me to have answers about what happened back in Vale! Someone had gotten control over our network and used it to take control of the machines, our people are still looking into the intrusion even at this very moment and that's all I can tell you for now." The general was clearly tense enough without her father's line of questioning and was about to have none of it, looking across to the empty seat by Gideon would bring the younger heiress more discomfort as Winter still wasn't on hand to help temper the situation and steer things towards a more pleasant conversation.

"That's unfortunate James, how do you expect me to continue to trust and invest in our military's future projects if you can't seem to put down a simple debacle with the press." The patriarch would continue to pick at his well prepared meal without reservation, to him it was just another of the family's Sunday night meals: Winter would be running late due to her obligations with the Atlysian press, Weiss being his dutiful princess and loving daughter that she was meant to be. As well as the unfortunate guest who seemed to fade into the background until he was called upon, although it seemed he responded more expediently to the whims of his children then he did with the master himself.

"Perhaps tomorrow's court marshal will finally put to rest just how well you manage to lead under pressure, and if all goes well..then perhaps we can resume negotiations on our "outside projects"" Gideon would ring a small silver bell and glare at the silver-haired young man, annoyed at his continued defiance as he continued to ring. "Boy. Make yourself useful and remove my plate, I'm done with this..meal." The older man would fume as the black-suited young man remained standing by the front door, his expression hidden by the sunglasses adorning his face as he walked over to the table and stood across from Ironwood.

"Mayhaps you could use something a tad stronger then sparkling water this evening General, may I suggest the Brandy from a certain flask you have on hand?" Bálor would give a knowing smirk despite the annoying chime of the silver bell, to his credit Ironwood would shake his head quietly as a maid finally stepped in to remove Gideon's plate.

"I appreciate the offer young man, but it's frowned upon to show up to a military function suffering from a hangover." He would look over to the still quietly heiress who was picking at her salad, a frown upon her face and a faraway look in her eyes as Gideon simply stared into his glass of wine. "But perhaps the lady could use some attending to." The older man would give a knowing wink before turning back to his meal, calmly cutting into the roasted pheasant that had been prepared for him as the young man quietly strolled over to Weiss's side.

 _"So this is what my life has come to: Playing the dutiful daughter while Father proceeds on as if business weren't on a steep decline, and the fact that my best friends are also missing, hurt, or…"_ Her thoughts would be interrupted by the sound of sparkling liquid filling her cup, looking up expecting to see the stoic expression of an emotionally beating down butler and instead being greeted with her silver-maned companion. "What are you doing?" She would asked this in a hushed tone, watching as he set down the crystal pitcher gently down on the silver carrying tray.

He would only give a silent but satisfied smile as he took the briefest of moments to admire her beauty before stepping back and giving a quiet bow. "I was merely making sure you were taken care of before going out to survey the area ma'am, news of the General's visit is sure to bring about some lookie-loos." He would begin making his way to the door with a quiet calm, deliberately keeping his pace slow just to make sure that the heiress would make damn sure to miss him.

"Hey mutt!" Weiss's voice would echo throughout the silent dining room; startling both the general and her father with the use of a slur and gaining the attention of her target, smiling in relief when he stopped walking and turned to look at his icy-eyed maiden. "Remember what we agreed to: If there are onlookers then you handle them the **right** way." The tone of command in her voice would pique the elder Schnee's interest as he watched the usually mute young man give a nod of affirmation before taking a knee.

"As we agreed m'lady, your wish is my command." Bálor would get back up to his feet and leave the room with a confident jog just as the door to the dining room opened and Winter finally strode her way in just as the black-suited young man made his exit, the two of them making slight eye contact before he continued his run out into the hall.

"I apologize for my tardiness everyone, it's amazing just how pushy the media can get even when the communications towers are on the fritz." A servant would rush over to help the elder heiress remove her heavy coat while another would quickly pull out her seat for her, the pale-haired woman would look around the room with a satisfied smile for those present. "But I must say that it's quite good to finally be home after a hard day's work." Before starting to dig into the salad that had been presented to her, Winter would feel her sister's inquisitive gaze upon her and give a quiet chuckle at the small spark of hope that radiated from her younger sibling. "Incredible. It wasn't that long ago that she was an emotional wreck upon returning to these walls, despondent and wanting nothing more than to return to the side of the one she had left behind."

"What do you mean you're confiscating my scroll?!" The startled heiress would do her best to try and retrieve the very thing that held the last vestiges of better days for the pale-haired Huntress-in-training, but the hired suits that were waiting upon the return of the pair were more than prepared to deal with a distraught teenage girl. "You don't have any right to do this! Father!" She would continue to try and break free of the iron clad grip of the SDC security team, but they would barely budge as she watched Gideon rifle through the various images located on her photo gallery with an inquisitive gaze as most of them seemed to spotlight a girl who enjoyed wearing a red hood.

"I'm sure that these people all treated you fine during your little tenure abroad Weiss, but I'm afraid that those days are as dead and gone as Beacon Academy itself." He would turn the scroll so that its former holder could see that it was now at a prompt menu asking whether or not she wanted it to be reset to default factory settings, the heiress's pale blue eyes would go wide as she realized what this would entail if Gideon accepted the prompt. "You will probably hate me forever for what I'm about to do my dear, but I assure you that it's all for the betterment of your future." With those last words he would initiate the reset process, keeping a stoic and detached look upon his face as his second-born cried out in horror as she witnessed the memories that she had crafted with her friends be obliterated from the device.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU!" Weiss would shout this at the top of her lungs as Gideon turned away and began his slow paced walk back into the family manor, not surprised to see his older daughter waiting silently with a solemn look upon her face as the elevator doors open. The two of them exchanged no words as the older woman strode confidently towards her younger sibling while dismissing the bodyguards with a wave of her hand, kneeling down by her quietly sobbing sister.

"I need you to stand up now Weiss, I understand that you feel as though your heart's been ripped to pieces and that it seems impossible to fix." Winter would slowly help the pale-haired girl to a standing position before holding her close, gently stroking her hair much like their mother did for her whenever Gideon's temperament had gotten the better of her emotions. "But just because that you've lost the data involving the precious memories that you've made, but no amount of factory resets can undo those memories that are etched upon your heart. Those are the ones that will keep you strong when the gilded cage closes upon us." The older sibling would step back and remove her sword from its scabbard and gently tab the point where the scar over Weiss's rye began, her muscles tensing as the younger Huntress would unsheathe her Myrtenaster and strike back against her sister before leaping away to gain some distance.

"What would you know about feeling trapped in a gilded cage, you got everything you wanted out of life: Graduated with honors, attained a high-prestige ranking in the Atlysian brass, rumor has it that you're even on the fast track to succeed Gideon whenever he decides to finally retire!" The younger Schnee sister would quickly switch the colored Dust chambers in her rapier before quickly summoning glyphs under her feet to get around her sibling and strike a quick blow to her back, but the elder heiress would see through such an obvious tactic and bring her own sword to bear against Weiss's Myrtenaster as the heliport echoed with an audible clang of metal against metal before parrying a flurry of stabs from her sibling and pushing her back with a stiff kick and a look of disgust.

"I expected so much better of your training from Beacon, yet all you've shown me is that you're still the same spoiled brat from our childhood." Winter would flash a confident smirk as she prepared a time dilation glyph to try and bring an end to their farce of a battle, once she was content with the boost of energy that the glyph had bestowed upon the older woman would she leap outside and try to deliver a flurry of quick stabs to her sisters sides. Never really noticed that the very same time dilation glyph was also bestowing its graces upon the younger girl until Winter found her strikes being parried and deflected by the irate Heiress, proceeding to match her older sibling move for move thanks to the boost that both sides had received from their respective glyphs and darting around the battlefield in a frenzied ballet of steel sparks and fired off Dust rounds.

"Even when she's in a complete state of rage Weiss can still keep up with my blows, which means that I'll just have to use an attack that she hasn't mastered." The older woman would leap back onto the top of the bullhead and initiate a Summoning Glyph and calling forth a cadre of the different Grimm that she had defeated during her time as a Huntress and sent them charging towards her younger sibling while hiding a look of sadness upon herself. "I hope you can forgive me for having to turn our ability against family like this."

Weiss would grit her teeth in furious anger and summon as many platform glyphs that her tired body could muster in order to both avoid and assault the swarm of Summoned Grimm while doing so, becoming a white blur that danced across the battlefield and held back the cadre as best she could.

"Stop this foolishness Weiss, you're only going to exhaust your Aura supply before you dispatch even one of my Grimm!" The older woman would watch on helplessly as the younger woman continued to bounce between pale white Grimm with little to no damage being done, deciding instead to dispel the facsimiles before leaping down and catching her exhausted sister before she collapsed onto the ground in a heap. "You've definitely become stronger dear sister, now we just need to focus those energies towards completing your training on Summoning Glyphs." Winter would sigh tiredly as she made her way towards the service elevator with her unconscious sibling cradled safely in her arms.

Winter would smile wistfully as she reflected upon the memory of that sad homecoming, Gideon had no idea what kind of flame that his actions had instilled in his youngest child. From that day forward the two would begin training in secret to perfect her skills with the glyphs and had managed to take baby steps forward in terms of summoning, her temper proving to be the main stumbling block in terms of true progression.

"Little sister, you've grown in more ways than our father's narrow lens can hope to see. But your frustrations are still locking away your true power, but I truly believe that when you finally free of those chains then you'll be able to tap into the full extent of the Schnee Family Semblance." Winter would take note of the apparel that the younger heiress wore and couldn't help but feel the smile upon her face widen, causing Gideon to take notice of the change in his child's expression and raise an eyebrow of concern.

"Is everything okay Winter, you've barely eaten a thing." The patriarch would look from one daughter to another in silent confusion: with Winter wearing a knowing smile as she gazed upon the younger Weiss, who was clearly wrestling with the weight of something major on her mind.

"I'm fine father." The older heiress would smile and gently pat Gideon's hand in a vain attempt to comfort the ruthless businessman, who only grew further confused by the heartfelt gesture. "I just have the distinct feeling that things are about to become much more interesting around here."

 _ **Yeah, there's gonna be a part two to this dinner folks. There's still the ER flashback to wrap up, more of Weiss and Balor from the past, and the court marshal of soon to be ex-General James Ironwood!**_

 _ **If you like what you read here (Hey, stop laughing back there!) then please go vote on the poll on my profile page to ensure it continues, or vote for one of the other stories. Your decision!**_

 _ **Poll now closes on Oct. 3rd, I still gotta update Yang's fic (Salvation)**_

 _ **Ta-ta for now!**_


	3. A Matter of Trust part two

_**How bout that Volume 4 trailer guys? Separation didn't do it justice.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY owns Rooster Teeth.**_

 _"Help…please…"_

Those would be the first words he would speak upon kicking open the doors of the emergency room, the wolf Faunus was splattered in blood as he cradled an unconscious Ruby in his arms even as all eyes drifted in their direction and a more than terrified Weiss Schnee made her way over to them with the frazzled medical staff following behind her.

 _"What the hell happened to her!"_ The heiress would try to gently stroke her fallen partner's cheek, the doctors doing their best to gather up a stretcher and any other necessary supplies. _"You were supposed to protect her, you kept bragging about being her shield..and yet here she is bleeding in your arms!"_ The medical staff would gently shoo her aside before taking the sleeping crimsonette from the injured wolf and began examining her, murmurs of confusion and other sounds coming from within their little group.

 _"Not..her blood."_ Bálor would stumble to his knees as the pale-haired Huntress deliberately avoided catching him as a male nurse rushed over to help him to a sitting position, trying his best to ignore the man's pestering questions as he tried to make eye contact with Weiss once again. _"I had to protect her at all costs, even if it means I need to kill.."_ He would snarl in annoyance before more medical staff began to gather around him, examining and prodding at his right eye before trying to stand once again.

 _"Please sir, we need to examine your eye, we may still be able to save it. Notify the Burn Ward, Faunus male with second degree burns over right eye!"_ The doctor would begin to help him into an incoming wheelchair before starting to walk off, only to feel Bálor's hand grasping his shoulder hard. "It's gonna be okay son, we'll look your friend over but that eye-" The silver-maned young man would shake his head quietly before glancing over to a still unconscious Ruby and a very distraught Weiss, peppering the group with any question she could think of.

 _"The eye's thrashed doc, don't need a medical degree to tell me that…Just promise me you'll help my friends, uppity broad over there included."_ He would smirk as the doctor looked over at Weiss curiously, the heiress still intent on peppering the befuddled medical staff with continued questions and demands that she look over Ruby herself before one of the other students would start pulling her away. _"She's good people doc, just doesn't know how to handle insanity on a scale like this."_

The doctor would look down at the amber-eyed wolf Faunus with a look of discomfort at the young man's shockingly calm demeanor, his remaining eye staring back at the white-coated man with a slight smile. _"To be perfectly honest, I'm not really sure how you can be so calm about any of this either: your school is destroyed, your friends are hurting, and you only have one working eye."_ The doctor would place a calm hand on the injured wolf's shoulder with some reservation. _"You're..pretty strong son."_

Weiss would continue to pick at her salad in silence while Winter and Ironwood talked quietly amongst themselves, no doubt the pair were in last minute crunch time talks for the impending court marshal as Gideon quietly nursed the cup of coffee he usually had following the palette-cleanser course. _"I can't stand this silence, it's maddening."_ The younger heiress would look down at her hands: Smooth, delicate, unmarred by any kind of physical labor, these were the kinds of hands her father expected of his little princess. _"I may not like the way the mutt handles his business but even still, he always makes sure that it's never truly boring..at least until I get sucker punched."_ She could feel a faint smile grace her lips, visualizing her delicate hands being covered by the training gloves she had to wear during their sparring sessions and the primal grunts he made whenever they sparred together. A slight chill dancing up and down her spine as the leftover adrenaline from their earlier sparring session together began to make its presence known as her cheeks began to rouge. "P-Please excuse me for a moment father."

The pale-haired woman would rush from her seat before the patriarch would even attempt to give his consent, instead he would watch on sternly as the doors to the dining room were already closing behind her as the pale-haired woman ran the halls until she felt she was a safe distance away before finally exhaling and letting the feeling of euphoria wash over her body with a satisfied purr as she leaned against the wall. "I knew that the endorphins from training were something else, but to have that rush of feeling come up while I'm with the family? How embarrassing!" Weiss would feel her cheeks heat up as she tried to fan out what was left of her pleasurable euphoria, stopping once she heard a quiet chuckle.

"I doubt that such feelings come from simple training sister." Winter's voice would break the silent peace that the younger heiress had been experiencing up til now as her older sibling now stood across from her with a knowing smirk upon her face. "It seems to me that you enjoy who you're training with, rather than the act itself." The older woman would raise a knowing eyebrow at her sister's flushed cheeks.

"You've got to be joking..that mutt may have calmed down since we last met..but that doesn't mean I..like him!?" The younger Schnee would shake her head vigorously under the weight of Winter's gaze as she thought back to her earlier encounters with the wolf Faunus.

She could see only red as the hood fell back to reveal a familiar but much longer and shaggier mane of silver hair and a sole shimmering amber eye, the heiress would grit her teeth in restrained anger as she stood face to face with her nemesis in the quest for Ruby Rose's heart.

The wrestle-crazy, consistently annoying, indiscriminately despised wolf Faunus named Balor Moonlight.

"Why the hell are you here?!" Weiss would continue glaring daggers into his eyes as the crowd of people behind them stepped back in astonishment at her sudden outburst, the heiress herself would continue to tighten her grip on the amber-eyed antagonist despite being in the beginnings of a PR fiasco.

"Hehehe, ya see folks, this is what..too much coffee can do to ya." He would try to smile out to the crowd despite the crushing grip that the heiress now had on his neck before looking at her directly and whispering. "Temper temper princess, try to play along for the good people." The wolf would begin to cough once again as the heiress looked around at the startled crowd, and more importantly just how keyed up her security group is and the fact that they were now talking into their scrolls.

 _"Shit..if those suits decide to bust in here and start cordoning off the place and making a scene then father will completely lock me up inside the house!"_ Weiss would bit her lip in thought before deciding to release him from her death grip and slip the hood back over him, finally remembering the tea she had left waiting on the barista counter before deciding to take a sip and frowning in thought as she looked down at her drink. "It's gone cold.."

The wolf Faunus would chuckle quietly before gesturing for a second drink while turning to face the crowd with a kindhearted smile and a bit of a showy flourish. "Yes folks I understand that we all love our coffee, that precious jet black lava that helps us put the hitch in our giddy-up. But I ask you: don't you ever just wish you could get a drink that doesn't make you a manic, throat choking psychopath?" The crowd would continue to murmur amongst themselves in confusion but wouldn't get too far in their debate before the silver-maned young man would begin speaking once again. "Well then that's why you've gotta go for Blue Lavender tea, that wonderously calming liquid now brought to you exclusively by the S-D-C!" He would look to the stunned heiress for confirmation on this sudden announcement, even as the crowd mimicked his curiously wide-eyed appearance and she let out a disheartened sigh before nodding glumly and holding out the golden charge card reserved for major emergencies.

"My..associate is correct, we had recently acquired the production rights for Blue Lavender and decided to stage a little show for you today in order to celebrate our latest acquisition, we do hope you enjoyed you enjoyed our presentation and look forward to any and all future purchases of SDC brand Blue Lavender tea." The heiress would give the crowd her usual winning smile reserved for public spectacles while Bálor continued to hype up the crowd to purchase tea, word would spread through social media about the heiress's sudden purchase that the line in the coffee shop would spread outward to the point where added security had to be called just to wrangle in everyone.

By the time the sun was beginning to set for the day the coffee shop had completely sold out of its Blue Lavender supply and Weiss was left feeling drained after having to smile for photographs with the public, deal with ambitious bloggers, and even a couple impromptu interviews with some of the local media personalities. _"I'm exhausted, this is worse than anything in father's itinerary so far."_ The heiress would look over at her silver-haired hype man, calmly sitting at a further away table sipping cocoa without a care in the world, his amber eyed gaze drifting over to her before raising his mug with a satisfied smile.

"How do you do it?" She would whisper this more to herself than anyone else, not knowing that his hearing was picking up her words. "I was so close to choking you out, and yet you suddenly decide to morph into this weird shilling machine and not only avoid a crisis but manage to give my family some sort of PR boost." The pale-haired Huntress would look at him as he finished his mug of cocoa and smiled slightly.

"Well princess, it all goes back to that one annoying aspect of my personality that you despise: Being a wrestling nerd has taught me to be able to well..be "on" whenever there's a crowd around, and while I certainly wasn't expecting to help you purchase a tea company..I'm glad I was able to help you seem more relatable to the people." The wolf Faunus would stare into his empty coffee mug with a frown, his mind seemingly drifting off into his own world. "I know you don't have any reason to trust me Weiss, but I think I can help you.."

Weiss would snort in annoyance at his implied suggestion as she stared at her Academy antagonist with disdain, remember all of the dragged out entrances during the sparring matches, the obnoxious gimmicks, and his usually flippant attitude toward authority.

"You're right, I don't have any reason to trust you mutt..especially since I figured you would be with Ruby and nipping at her heels like you usually are." The heiress would ready a second insult when she heard the sudden crash as the wolf smashed his mug into the table with a subdued growl, blood dripping from the cuts in his hand where the bits of mug were now dug into his skin. "What the- you idiot!" The pale-haired woman would bolt from her table to examine the wound closely, her brow furrowed in concern as she turned back to the few employees that were closing up shop. "I need your first aid kit now!" The startled staffers would begin searching the shelves behind the counter as the amber-eyed young man would sigh calmly as he looked down at the wound bitterly.

"Ruby's gone Weiss…according to the folks in Patch she's been gone for a few months now and Taiyang's been a wreck since then." Bálor would try to clench his injured hand only to feel something keeping him from doing so, looking down to find the heiress pulling out the mug fragments with a pair of tweezers. "Do I even want to know where you got those Weiss?"

She would sigh in annoyance as her tweezers continued to pull out the fragments with frightening ease. "You've never had a sister have you dolt? Women always happen to keep a purse full of things they might need during the course of their day: Tweezers, bobby pins, you name it and there's a good chance that we've got it." Weiss would sigh sadly as she pulled out the last bit of mug and looked at the bleeding wound with a frown. "There's not really much I can do without a medical degree, and since you never bothered to unlock your aura.." She would let her voice trail off as her mind began to formulate a plan before looking straight into his amber eye as she pushed her aura outward toward the befuddled wolf. Tiny specks of a black outline beginning to show as the heiress did her best to unlock his aura by using her own.

"Weiss, you don't have to do this..I can just learn to deal with it until it scars-" The silver-haired man would try to pull his hand away, but he would be surprised by the strength of her grip, grunting as he felt something stirring to life inside of him and looking straight into her icy blue eyes as if he were seeing her for the first time. _"The hell? Were her eyes always this vibrant?"_ So distracted was the wolf Faunus by this sudden revelation that he failed to notice the pitch black aura now flowing around him, gasping as Weiss began falling forward only to catch her before her face hit the table. "Weiss what's wrong?"

The heiress would let out a strained laugh as she was helped into a chair, looking over to see the outline of darkness slowly dissipating with a satisfied smirk. "I'm exhausted, you stupid idiot…using my own Aura to unlock yours isn't exactly the easiest thing to do." She would stare up at the ceiling with a feeling of disgust at what she was going to say next, but between her father's restrictive itinerary and suffocating security team that she would rather deal with the devil she did know then a set of devils that kept changing with each passing day. "Besides, you're going to need to have your Aura if you plan to be of any use to me at all." Weiss would groan as her stomach did a somersault at the fact that she had turned to the absolute last person in Remnant for any sort of assistance, but if she stood any chance of escaping her father's iron fisted rule then she needed to learn from someone who had always managed to flout the kind of authority that had been imposed upon him.

"..Thanks princess, I promise you that I'll do my best to live up to your..lofty standards somehow." Bálor would sigh in relief before kneeling down and kissing her hand gently, causing the heiresses' eyes to snap open and look down at him on horror.

"Don't. **EVER!** Do that crap again!"

Winter would now be leaning against the wall alongside her younger sibling with a smug smile. "That's a cute story sister, but I doubt that one good PR opportunity would catapult you two from antagonistic forces to what I saw earlier today." The older woman would glance over to find that Weiss's cheeks had reddened significantly, no doubt remembering the compromising position that they had been found in. "There's something else that caused you to change your views on that young man, something bigger than just a pet name and some kind words."

The younger heiress would frown deeply, biting her lip as if she were considering on divulging the very story that Winter was looking for. But instead she would cross her arms and turn away from the older Huntress, surprising even Winter herself before walking off with a smug saunter. "It's alright Weiss, take your time..I know you'll tell me eventually. You always do."

 _ **Stay tuned for Part 3, got a bus to catch!**_


	4. A Matter of Trust part three

_**Finally, a fic that earns its M-rating for crying out loud!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY owns Rooster Teeth, I'm just some schlub who wishes them nothing but good fortune for their future projects (Volume 4 Included)**_

Weiss hadn't bothered returning to the dining table following her run-in with Winter, instead making her way back to her bedroom in silent contemplation as she closed the door behind her and flopped down upon her bed with a frown as she thought back upon her siblings words.

 _"I doubt one good PR opportunity would change things between you two…There's something else that happened that caused you to change your views towards that young man."_ The pale-haired Huntress would sigh in frustration as she stared up at her stark white ceiling as she pictured her sibling's smug smile as she had taken apart potential male suitors with only her razor sharp wit and even sharper tongue, anyone who had tried to pass along a cheesy pickup line or promise her riches beyond those she had already been born into were brutally torn down to their most baser selves. _"I am a Schnee, even if you were to promise me the keys to immortality, it still wouldn't be enough to compensate for the eternity of disgust that I would have to live with knowing that I lay with swine such as you!"_

Such words had given Weiss the confidence and pride to walk her own path, choosing instead to go to Vale and Beacon instead of choosing to stay in her homeland and eventually face induction into the military once she graduated. However it was this very same decision that had set up on a collusion course with the man who would eventually become her trusted partner, second only to the one that the initiation test had given her. _"Things were so much different between the two of us back then, we were both focused on different goals in life, but we knew who we wanted to stand by our side."_

She would suddenly find herself looking at the photo on her nightstand, in it was a much younger Weiss Schnee standing in between her current partner at the time in the cookie-loving, red hood wearing, sniper-scythe swinging Ruby Rose. The crimsonette-haired girl had been a source of strength during her first days at the Academy, back when she was less trusting of the Faunus as a species and thought herself to be a superior Huntress who was far ahead of her fellow first years. But the man to her left would give the heiress a sense of sorrow as she noticed the familiar mane of silver, only his smile was full of piss and vinegar as both amber eyes shimmered with a hidden gleam.

"I'm sick of your bullshit you stuck up cow!" The wolf Faunus would snarl as he directed his eight crystalline blades to attack the pale-haired heiress, only for the young woman to slip past his weapons with a well-timed glyph before going in for the killing blow.

"You really think I'm that dumb!?" He would drop to his knees to avoid the worst of her rapier's blade and only earning a shallow cut to the shoulder blade for his troubles, but it would leave her back wide open to assault as the amber-eyed young man would grab her by her snow white locks and drag her to the ground before laying into her with vicious forearms.

"Vile cur!" Weiss would grit her teeth in wait for the opportunity to strike, clamping down on his forearm angrily as her silver-haired opponent yowled in pain as she grabbed Myrtenaster and preparing to slash at his throat. Neither fighter aware of the dispirited look upon the red-hooded girl's face as her partner's rapier hit a wall of crystal before finally throwing the heiress off of his forearm and watching her flip through the air gracefully before landing back on her feet, her icy blue eyes focused on the next clash with an equally infuriated Bálor as Goodwitch and an amphitheater full of students watched on intently as both sides readied their stances as his swords danced and circled the area while the heiress watched his weapon's patterns and quickly devising a sequence of glyph placements in order to dodge whatever melee he had planned and setting up positions for a counter-strike.

"Any last words princess, because this is the last chance that you're gonna be able to speak before I knock you straight the fuck out!" The wolf would calmly circle the dais as he watched her do the same, for him this would be the day he finally proved himself to be an adequate guardian for the red-hooded girl watching them in the audience.

"The only thing I have to say to you is that I'm going to finally cut that undeserved ego of yours down to size and keep you far away from **MY** partner, maybe then you can try and tackle some other impossible task like impressing Pyrrha!" Both sides would be too busy glaring at one another to notice the aforementioned spear maiden blush in embarrassment at her friend's words, the pair finally ended their circling one another as both sides tensed their bodies for one final charge.

"Time to get kicked off your high horse you selfish bitch!"

"Go die in the streets you flea-ridden asshole!"

The two of them would unleash their respective strategies against one another as the wolf Faunus struck out with his blades individually, his amber eyes widening as each blade only struck the material of her bolero jacket and combat skirt. _"She anticipated my moves!"_

The heiress would grin triumphantly as she leaped off of a glyph and rushed in to strike his shoulder, only to be met with the black crystal blade that he held in hand as she gasped in surprise before parrying him as best she can with her Myrtenaster.

 _"How is this even possible, I watched those blades and counted them out myself!"_ The pale-haired Huntress would memorize the placement of his strikes, her eyes seeing the rainbow-colored seven but seeing no sign of the black crystal blade at all. "He kept one as a backup, as if he were waiting for me to get in close!" She would frown in annoyance as a slight smile crossed her lips at the respect she felt for his foresight in tactics, surprised to see a similar expression cross his own face as they continued to try and push one another back.

"As much as it pains me to admit this: I'm actually enjoying this little scrap of ours Weiss, there aren't many here who can make me crack a smile during battle so savor the honor woman." The amber-eyed Huntsman would grunt as he exerted the full weight of his strength against her smaller frame, grinning as the heiress fell to one knee as she tried to fend him off of her.

"You would savor that feeling, insufferable brute!" Weiss would summon a small glyph in-between their clashing blades to help separate herself before being completely out-muscled by him, her forehead beading with sweat as she used more of her aura to accomplish the task and gasping and crying out in relief upon witnessing her silver-haired antagonist being forced back into the waiting sights of the ice crystals she had left behind on each glyph. "And that's why you're about to become a living pincushion…"

She would say this with a bitter tone as her gaze drifted over to a horrified Ruby, whose silver-eyes were widened in shock at just how far two of her closest friends were willing to go in order to destroy one another and cement their status as her "partner" _"I'm so sorry Ruby, but I promise that once he's out of the way..everything will be alright again."_ Weiss would gesture for the ice crystals to strike, watching them dig into his skin and wincing as blood started to drip from the wounds slowly. The students and staff all shouting at once as the injured Faunus stumbled forward towards the exhausted woman, watching as she dropped her rapier in stunned silence as he approached her. "How in the hell are you…?" The heiress would whimper as the bleeding wolf stood over her, the Huntress too tired to get up and out of range. Weiss would whimper quietly as his hand balled into a trembling fist as she squeezed her icy blues shut, waiting for the blow of pain to her face.

"Guess you really are…Just. Too. Sweet." Bálor would tap the heiress's forehead gently with the Bullet Club's hand gesture before finally falling to his knees and passing out.

Weiss would catch his falling form on pure instinct, not really noticing the bits of blood that now stained her clothing.

She would still be in a silent stupor as she found herself in Beacon's medical wing, her normal outfit replaced by a simple hospital gown as the pale-haired woman ran her fingers over the spot on her forehead where he had given her the too-sweet.

"I can't believe he did that..he had the perfect chance to finish me off, and yet he spared me." She would ball a fist in frustration as she pounded the bed she was laying in, tears of anger brimming as she did. "That stupid son of a bitch held back-" Her eyes would widen as her fist made contact with something other than the bed, looking up to see her fellow RWBY member and one of the few Faunus she genuinely liked in Blake Belladonna who had caught her friend's fist and was now holding it in both of her hands.

"Good to see that you've still got plenty of spirit after such an intense fight." The feline would say this quietly as she released the pale-haired girl's hand and watching the fist unclench as she did so. "And the fact that you came out of it relatively uninjured is no surprise to me."

Weiss would smile triumphantly at this fact, remembering just how battered her opponent appeared before passing out and dispelling the frown as quickly as it came.

"Where's Ruby, I'm surprised she's not here watching over me." The heiress would try her best to sit up, wincing at just how achy her muscles were acting despite coming out on the winning end of the fight. Her concern deepening once she sees the feline's expression turn sour at the mention of the crimsonette. "Blake?"

The raven-haired woman's gaze would fall to her feet as she remembered the look on her leader's face following the end of their battle. It was one of the rare times that she had seen the young reaper's expression devoid of any kind of happiness, but as the remaining members of Team RWBY left the amphitheater in silence Blake would never forget the emotionless expression on her friend's face before heading back to the dorm with an equally frustrated Yang.

"Once the fight ended and the teachers helped get..him, to the medical wing she and Yang just sort of left for the dorm without saying a word. Not even to me, and I'm the neutral party here." The feline would raise a hand to keep the heiress from asking questions and instead pressing forward despite the other girl's obviously pointed look of objection to being silenced. "You two really messed up big this time Weiss, I think even Ruby's finally fed up with all of this constant bickering and fighting over these past few months. And you know Ruby would do anything to make sure that all of her friends get along with one another, but you two just seem intent on destroying each other just to get Ruby all to yourself!" Blake didn't mean to let the anger she had been feeling towards their squabble rise to the surface, but she couldn't get past the complete look of numbness upon the younger Huntress's face. It was as if a part of her warm heart had finally fractured under the stress of constantly seeing two people she cared about constantly at each other's throat.

"But it was all his to his bloated ego that we're even fighting each other in the first place!" Weiss's eyes would flash with indignation as she stared up at the feline, who simply matched her indignant scowl with one of her own. "If that stupid fleabag would just learn his place-"

The sound of the slap would be heard before either Huntress realized what had happened, but so infuriated was Blake that she just glared at the red-handprint now etched upon her Monochrome partner's face as she continued to talk.

"Just stop it! Stop fighting over her like she's some fucking prize at a carnival, Ruby loves you both equally to the point that it's killing her to watch you two act like stupid idiots and hurt each other like this!" The feline would tremble as the image of an emotionally empty Ruby entered her mind and caused her anger to boil once again, crossing her arms and hugging herself tightly to avoid striking the heiress again. "This may be the only chance you two have to end this madness while you're both alive, because even if you do continue to fight without killing one another..you're going to lose the very person you claim to care about!" Blake would stalk off in a huff before the heiress had a chance to respond to the veiled threat that now hung over her head, fists clenched tightly at the thought of losing her dear partner unless she made peace with her enemy.

 _"What if she's right? I've been so focused on subjugating that mongrel that I never bothered to take her feelings into account, all I wanted was to prove myself to be the superior partner."_

Winter would be sitting with General Ironwood in the mansion's parlor as the two of them stared into respective glasses of sparkling water silently, the older woman would sigh as she tried to figure out just what secret that her younger sister was now hiding. Clearly their earlier talk had rattled something loose from the tight vault her heart had become since returning home three months ago.

"Penny for your thoughts Schnee?" Ironwood would take a sip from his water while watching his subordinate with a keen eye, it was clear to him that something had been bothering her since leaving the dinner after the younger heiress had excused herself. "Family not exactly settling in like papa bear expects you to?" The older man would watch her eyes narrow in annoyance before lightening his tone with a smile. "At least your sister has a friend her own age she can relate to, and considering our circumstances as of late she could use a friend like that right now."

Winter's grip on her cup of sparkling water would tighten upon hearing the general's kindhearted words, she had her own suspicion towards Weiss's silver-maned companion as did their father. But unlike the patriarch, she wasn't one to play the waiting game when it came to things involving her younger sister and some boy that she couldn't find any information on. "With all due respect general, I don't share your enthusiasm for my sister's current choice in company. They're closer than a pair of individuals in their situation should be."

This would cause Ironwood to raise a curious eyebrow as he finished his sparkling water without saying a word before finally deciding to address the unasked question, seeing the intense grip that Winter now had on his cup wasn't helping things.

"Schnee, I understand that you may have some strange reservations towards this..individual, but The Fall changed things for everyone." The general would reach inside his coat for the flask of brandy that he kept on him whenever things got stressful, which seemed to be an almost daily occurrence. "People who used to be hardcore enemies now find themselves working with one another towards a common goal, not unlike the folks who are planning my court marshal tomorrow." The man would rub his temples in annoyance as he pictured the long row of military-suited men judging and tearing apart his every word for signs of dishonesty, despite none of them being present for the actual disaster itself and witnessing their finely tuned automaton army turn on their creators and sew panic throughout the streets of Vale. Panic which eventually helped give rise to fear, fear which would bring forth more vicious and aggressive Grimm like the recently discovered Berengel type over in Haven.

The older Schnee however would remain unconvinced that the disaster in Vale was the spark for her sister's sudden closeness with someone who she had once described in one of her many letters home as an uncultured, pathetic man-child whose only sole reason to exist was to spread misery upon her life.

 _"Something happened between those two that my sister isn't telling me, and Dust help me I will get answers one way or another!"_ Winter would sigh tiredly as she noticed Ironwood taking a deep swig of his flask, causing her to roll her steel gray eyes before snatching the silver flask away from him with a huff. "Come on sir, you should get some rest and prepare for tomorrow's proceedings." The pale-haired woman would put the lid on the flask and stash it in the breast pocket of her own jacket, watching as the older man stood up and looked up at her with a glassy-eyed smile.

"You're too good to me Schnee, you'll make a wonderful wife someday." Ironwood would chuckle to himself as the older heiress began walking him back to the door of the mansion.

Bálor would be making his way back inside the mansion now that the night watch were now taking over the patrol, his stomach growling audibly as he noticed Winter and the general talking quietly amongst themselves at the front door. _"Must be last minute prep for tomorrow's case."_ He would ball a fist as his mind briefly flashed back upon the horrors of that night: the sight of Penny being torn apart during her fight with Pyrrha, watching innocent Huntsman like Roy Stallion of Team BRNZ being carried off by the Grimm, the sound of the a gunshot piercing the silence atop the tower where a giant dragon lay frozen in time. _"No! Don't think about that time…that's not who you are anymore."_ The silver-haired man would make his way into the mansion through a servant's entrance, making his way back to Weiss's room as he reflected on the craziness of his day.

"Winter's starting to ask questions…" Those were the first words that greeted him upon entering his goddess's private sanctuary, causing him to pause mid-step as he made his way over to her side. "I think she's having trouble wrapping her head around the fact that we're together now given what I said about you in my letters home." He would sigh and remove his red-tinted glasses while contemplating what he had been told, the older woman had been somewhat cordial with him during his tenure as her sister's bodyguard but since she had started walking in on the top of them during their more intimate moments that same sense of cordiality grew paper thin.

"I understand your concern love, but we're not the same people we used to be back in the time of those..letters." Bálor never did like the fact that such pointed letters had made their way to Atlas, ruining his chance to make a proper first impression with her family and instead having to play catch up while trying to keep up an air of formality instead of being the free spirit that came naturally to him.

"And besides, even if Winter goes digging for information on my past then all she'll run into is a pristine record free of any criminal transgressions and a mediocre grade-point average." He would place a gentle hand upon her soft cheek and lean in for a chaste kiss, smiling when he felt her arms wrap around his waist as she returned his kiss with the same tenderness before deciding to step from him and gently run her hands down his chest with a knowing smile.

"You know, we never did finish what we started this afternoon. And I doubt we'll get anymore interruptions from my sister for the evening." Weiss would say this while unbuttoning his ruby red dress shirt, her heart feeling a slight twinge of sadness as the color reminded her of the friend she had been forced to leave behind. But before the tears could start falling from her blue eye, she could feel the warmth and reassurance of his hand upon her slender shoulders as she looked up to find that he was looking down at her with a quiet calm.

"I wish I could do something about that scar.." She would finish unbuttoning his shirt and reach up to let her fingers dance along the burn of his right eye, in the past she had trouble looking at that stark white eye and would often beg for him to consider an eye patch. "Won't you please let the surgeons at least treat the scar with new skin, I know you have a thing against cybernetic implants but.." Weiss would go silent as she saw her lover's expression darken at the mention of implants, wondering just why he had such a strong bias against them considering where they now lived.

"I understand your concern for my well-being darling, but this scar serves as a reminder of things that I failed to put a stop to..the friends we lost." Before he could go on to list anymore negative aspects of that horrible event, Weiss would cut him off with a searing kiss before shoving him back onto the bed with a dominant growl and straddling his waist. "You talk too much." The heiress would continue to pepper her amber-eyed companion with kisses along his neck as she made her way down his chest, paying special attention to the scars that lined his chest and abdomen before removing his belt and looking at it with a devilish smirk as her eyes darted from his wrists to the bed frame.

"Oh come on, since when are you the one on top?" He would say this with a half-hearted whine even as she began tying his wrists, shuddering as he felt the silky touch of her dress brushing against his bare skin. "At least let me help you unzip the back before you tie me up." The now topless young man would give a cheeky grin as he watched her roll her eyes and released his hands before moving her snow white hair aside, revealing the zipper to the dress he adored so much.

"No funny business now, I'm still the dominant here- ahhh sweet lord that's the spot." Weiss would let loose an exhale of pleasure as Bálor gently nipped at her shoulder while he unzipped the back of her dress before feeling the fabric fall away from her back as she shuddered against him, the cold air in the room doing little to help warm her as she wriggled herself loose and revealed herself to be wearing a lacy white bra with a black outline and matching panties. Surprised that her choice of clothing would reveal such an apprehensive look upon his face. "You don't like it..? I picked it out just for you."

Bálor would shake his head quietly before calmly removing his own slacks as he spoke. "It's not that Weiss, it just seems that we're both wearing something that reminds us of our friends." He would glance over at the red shirt on her floor before tossing the slacks into the pile and leaning down to kiss his way down her neck and relishing her moans of enjoyment. His fingers deftly doing away with the clasp of her bra before gently tossing it aside and proceeding to kiss the delicate mounds of flesh, his heart rate quickening in excitement as her moans became more guttural and frantic. "Mmm, don't get too excited dearest. This is just the curtain-jerker, we're not even close to the main event yet-" He would wince as the smaller Huntress dug her nails into his back aggressively, a clear indication that he had touched a nerve.

"What did I tell you about using that stupid wrestling vernacular when we're alone?" Her icy blue eyes would shimmer as she looked into his amber eye with slight contempt, slowly beginning to drag her nails down his back. "Well, I'm waiting!"

Bálor would grimace as he tried to withstand the stinging pain of her fingernails as he gently kissed his way down her jaw line, anything to pacify his snow white queen and keep her from drawing blood. "Forgive me princess, merely a slip of the tongue. That's not who I am anymore." The sharpness would slowly leave his back as the pale-haired woman wrapped her arms around him and nipped at his earlobe teasingly, her voice taking on a more husky tone as she leaned in to whisper to her silver-maned lover.

"Show me just how sorry you are." With one final nip at his earlobe, she would lean back onto the bed with a satisfied smirk as she anticipated the incoming pleasures.

 _"Amazing, even when I'm on top she's in control."_ He would smile happily to himself as he removed the last vestiges of her clothing, then his own before looking down at her in quiet awe. _"Although to be perfectly honest, I chose this route in life when I finally decide to bury the hatchet with Ice Queen back then."_

Weiss would bite her lip as she stood outside the door to his room in the infirmary as she mulled over Blake's heated words to her back when the heiress was still bedridden, thanks to her aura she had only needed a few days before finally being able to leave her room.

But the wolf had no such access to his own reserves, and was instead forced to heal the old fashioned way. It was only by divine intervention that her crystals had avoided the vital areas of his body, despite her intent to take him out of Beacon permanently.

 _"Even if you do continue to fight without killing one another..you're going to lose the very person you claim to care about!"_ The heiress would snarl audibly as she balled a fist in frustration, hating that she had been put in-between the proverbial rock and hard place but forcing herself to step through the automatic door after displaying her scroll to show her identification. _"You're doing this for Ruby, but maybe you can even bring some peace to your own mind as well."_

Weiss would calmly make her way into the darkened hospital room, surprised to see a certain blonde brawler sitting by his bedside with a magazine in her lap. "Yang..? Why are you here, last time I checked you and the mutt were barely on speaking terms-" Yang would hold a finger to her lips as she glanced over to the sleeping Faunus without saying a word, the pale-haired Huntress would blink in confusion wondering just how they would communicate until she felt her scroll vibrate inside of her pocket. The blonde clearly holding her own scroll while staring intently at the wealthy girl as she removed her own scroll and saw that there was a text message waiting for her, deciding to open it and read it.

 _"Don't get the wrong idea, I still have plenty of salt when it comes to our sleeping friend here. But my sister still believes in the two of you somehow getting along with another."_ By the time she had finished reading her friend's first message and nearly feeling the sting of tears in her eyes, a second message would be waiting for her and would open it immediately.

 _"That's why she's had Blake and I looking in on the two of you, despite our own reservations towards your stupidity. Now I'm going to leave this room and get some air, hopefully when I come back..this shit will be over."_ The brawler would stroll past Weiss in silence and exit the room, leaving her alone with just a chair and the one man she hated at Beacon nearby.

"…I guess..this is the part where..you finish me off." His voice would break through the silence permeating through the room, causing Weiss to bite back a scowl as she made her way over to the chair and sat down next to his bedside. "At least…I'll have a good view..of my killer."

Weiss would sigh as she clenched the hem of her skirt, doing her best to restrain the venomous anger she was feeling towards him in that moment, now wasn't the time for her to be contemplating homicide. "I'm not here to hurt you..Bálor, believe it or not I was actually hoping that this may be the day we finally mend fences." She would take this moment to actually look at the various wires and machines hooked up to his person, feeling a pang of sympathy for the pain he must be enduring. "Think about it, we could continue fighting each other like we are now: tear Beacon apart from the foundation up and maybe even kill each other in the process. But I think we both know that if we did that then Ruby would never speak to either of us ever again." The heiress couldn't help but smile smugly, exploiting their shared weakness that was the deep seated love that both sides held for the crimsonette-haired girl was sure to get him to relent and give up their squabble. To her credit the wolf actually seemed to be visibly considering her offer, his brow furrowing intensely before turning his amber-eyed gaze upon her.

"I hate that on some level I can sense you're lying to me, but I cherish Ruby way too damn much to hurt her by keeping up this infuriatingly endless cycle of trying to kick your well-toned **ass!** " Bálor would begin hacking up blood as his body trembled with anger, not even noticing the fact that he had complemented her posterior or the fact that her cheeks were slightly rouged. "So..against my better judgment and for the sake of our friends' sanity I'll-" His speech would be cut off by Weiss's lips meeting his, not knowing how to respond in this situation.

 _"My God, if I didn't shut him up then this dunce would've given himself a heart attack from getting so worked up."_ She would deepen the kiss purely out of instinct, smilingly slightly at the fact he wasn't a complete loss as a man. _"Pretty decent kisser for a buffoon though, I'll have to remember this for future reference."_ Neither of them would notice that Yang had entered the room when the kiss was initiated and had been watching them in calm silence, smiling more to herself as it seemed that the war between them had finally ceased for now.

He had finally felt at peace for the first time since their sparring match earlier that day, that moment of bliss had nearly been defiled by Winter's intrusion on them but Weiss had given him satisfaction in a different way: By wearing the dress she knew he adored seeing her in, by singing the sweetest of words to him in his darkest hours. And then the moments such as these, where their bodies glistened with the sweat of a well-earned lovemaking session as he reflected on what had turned out to be the beginnings of what was to become their future.

 _"Back then I was forced to trust in you, to ensure the emotional safety of a friend we both hold dear. But now that I lay here beside you, I see that you truly believed in the peace you sought to build between us that day."_ He would gently stroke his lover's pale white hair affectionately as she continued to enjoy a peaceful sleep, wanting nothing more than to freeze this moment in time and enjoy it forevermore. But the amber-eyed guardian couldn't help but feel troubled as his mind flashed back to the sight of Winter talking to the General earlier on, and until the court marshal reached its conclusion he would be a man with many clearances. The kind that would help a suspicious older sibling pick at the seams of his carefully orchestrated background, the thing that enabled him to finally escape his bloody past and begin life anew as Weiss's man.

 _"I have worked too long and too damn hard to prove to Weiss that I'm not that same asshole I was when we first met, and I'll be damned if that bitch Winter is gonna sink me just because I'm not good enough for the great and powerful Schnee Dynasty!"_ His amber eye would burn with an unhealthy fire as his mind began devising a plan to keep Winter from shattering his newfound peace, and the foundation for such a scheme would no doubt be built upon the ruins of what was probably a good man.

 _ **Okay, so it's not quite a lemon...maybe lemon-zest? Whatever, next chapter we begin the trial of James Ironwood. Will he make it through with his rank intact, or will Atlas's dirty laundry be put out on public display? Guess you'll have to wait and see.**_

 _ **Ta-ta for now!**_


	5. Nothing Left To Lose

_**Okay, so I know I promised that we would begin the trial of James Ironwood. Problem with that is, I can't exactly write a trial scene without suddenly wanting to break down and watch a ton of Law and Order, so enjoy this prelude!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Rooster Teeth owns RWBY, 8 more days people. Prep yo feels!**_

The next day would find James Ironwood nursing the vestiges of a hangover, groaning quietly as he sat on the edge of his bed in cold silence. Knowing that today would be the day that his superiors would hang him out to dry for the events of the Vytal Festival. After all it had been his idea to offer up such high security following the Grimm's assault on Vale month's ago.

 _"I didn't think that it would come to this, that we were playing into the enemy's hand the entire time!"_ He would ball a fist in rage, even as the cold water from his showerhead amplified the cold dread he was now feeling. _"If I had just taken a moment to reassess the situation more closely, double-checked the programming on the Knights and Paladins, perhaps even listened to Ozpin then maybe…"_ The seasoned military man couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Beacon's now-former Headmaster as his name had been listed among the missing, and despite the best efforts of his most elite tracking squads there seemed to be no trace of the man he once considered an ally in their mission to mold the next generation of Huntsman, as well as their secret mission of keeping the Maidens of Remnant safe.

"Sir. Your 10 o'clock is waiting inside the parlor as you requested." The prompt and well-practiced voice of Ciel Soliel would interrupt his spiral of melancholy, he had taken the young woman on his personal assistant following the Vytal Festival. Impressed by her ability to maximize the time he had during the day, as well as keep him abreast of his schedule despite the many worries on his mind. "I advise you get a move on General, your guest didn't exactly appreciate being called in at such an early hour and wasn't exactly keen on waiting very long." He could hear the disdain in the young woman's voice as clear as a bell and wasn't about to force her to endure more hardship simply because he wanted to mentally kick his own ass over mistakes they had no way of knowing about.

"Miss Soliel, please go and remind our "Guest" that he's being well-paid, under the table for his services today and that it's in his best interests to listen to what I have to say." Ironwood would step out of the shower and begin to dress in his finest for today, grateful that his house staff were still standing with him despite the public outrage. "Besides, what I have planned may benefit him in the long run as well." The general would then proceed to gather his thoughts while shaving away what little had accumulated from the day before, staring at his focused reflection and wondering just how badly his reputation was about to be sullied by the upcoming proceedings.

Weiss would awaken the next day to find her hand resting softly upon the silky sheets of her bed instead of draped against her lover's chest, something that would instantly set off alarm bells in her mind as she bolted up in bed and search for him. _"What the hell, he's never been one to cum and go!?"_ The pale-haired woman would spot something sitting on her nightstand and upon finally letting herself fully awaken she would go to inspect it, finding a hastily written note and for some strange reason a half-eaten muffin next to it.

 _"Ironwood called for me and REALLY wouldn't take no for an answer, I'll be back ASAP. Good morning my love."_ She could feel the sting of grateful tears brimming in her eyes as she read the note once again, imagining the silver-haired man chomping down on the note noisily while writing the note. "You dolt..you could have at least woken me up before you left." She would wipe a stray tear away as she set his note down and discarded the muffin in the trashcan, deciding to head to the shower and ready herself for the long day ahead of her.

" _I don't know why I doubted him even for a moment, after all we've learned to trust one another so much more since he first showed up in Atlas."_ Weiss would sigh happily as she let her mind drift as the warm water cascaded over her skin.

"What are we doing at a Tailor princess, I thought you were going to allow me to be your bodyguard not play dress up." Bálor would growl slightly at the thought of people poking and prodding at him just to make a fancy dress suit that he would only wear during formal occasions. "If anything I could use some new weapons, the Blades of Jaggerjack are long gone and if you expect me to do my job then-" He would stop speaking as the pale-haired woman would place a finger on his lips before focusing his attention on her icy blue eyes.

"I understand that you want to focus on the more "physical" aspects of your job, but you need to realize that protecting me means stepping into high society. People who value appearance and status over ability and power, therefore I need you to look like a proper bodyguard then some…Gun Club fanboy."

The heiress would grin teasingly as she saw his eye twitch in pent up anger at the intentional mispronunciation of what was once his favorite wrestling faction, patting his cheek as she back-stepped toward the door to the Tailor Shop. "What's wrong, I thought you said that you were a changed man..that you didn't care about such trivial matters anymore." She would watch him carefully, the black outline of his recently released Aura becoming visible as he became much angrier before seeing him close his eyes and begin muttering to himself and the black aura beginning to soften before dissipating.

"You're right, little things like that shouldn't matter anymore. You need me to be by your side no matter what the situation, and if it means I have to play dress up then let's get this shit over with." He would take a deep breath and feel the animosity leave him as he looked at the snow-haired Huntress with renewed clarity, no longer seeing the spoiled brat that he had met at Beacon Academy his first week. _"You've changed so much Weiss, in the past you would've just prodding at the things I hate until I would've lashed out and attacked."_

His lone amber eye would shimmer slightly as he looked down at his feet in shame, as if contemplating saying something else but then deciding against it. "Just promise me that I at least get to pick the colors of what I'm wearing, I may not be a wrestling nerd anymore but, I really don't like the idea of having to wear just plain old white and blue suits."

Weiss would consider his words quietly as she held the door to the shop open for him, knowing that the color white was a staple to the Schnee family name, heck it was practically in her own name. But part of the reason she had decided to accept his presence at her side was that he didn't fit into the mold that her family expected of men who pursued Schnee women: He was ill-mannered, brash in his fighting style, educated in terms of basic history and schooling thanks to Vacuo's military, and constantly flouted authority at every chance he got.

 _"And that's exactly why I need you, to teach me everything you know in order to finally break free of my father and get out of Atlas."_ Allowing herself the tiniest hint of a smirk at her careful manipulation of his heart, she would step into the shop to see him looking around in confusion. "Fine, you can pick the colors of your suit. But I'll be dammed if any part of it consists of tear away pants!" This would cause him to stop mid-step and look back at the heiress in sheer surprise, almost as if she had read his mind without him knowing it.

"Oh stop it, you talked about wrestling so damn much that I decided to do my due diligence and…let's just say I know about Cesaro and his suits." She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks, recalling the first time she had seen the so-called Swiss Superman debut his fancy tear away suit.

Bálor on the other hand would do his best to keep from losing it entirely as a small bit of laughter was poorly suppressed by a straight-laced serious look, that would eventually morph into a grin before erupting into full on laughter. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me! You…you actually know some things about wrestling!" His laughter would continue even as she looked away from her silver-maned antagonist in embarrassment, only to gasp as he pulled her close to him, shuddering as he leaned in to whisper into her ear quietly. "You keep surprising me like this and I might actually start falling for you princess."

Weiss would feel herself swoon as the memory of being that close to him, hearing his own husky voice entrance her in much the same way that her singing voice would go on to do to him. "In hindsight though, maybe we should have invested in tear away suits. It certainly would make our nightly activities less tedious when it comes to undressing." The younger heiress would feel herself blushing as she wrapped a fluffy white robe around her person, stepping out to find her sister sitting at the nightstand with a stern face that was usually reserved for mothers preparing to scold their daughters over doing something really stupid.

"Sit down Weiss." The older heiress would forego any kind of a greeting to her younger sibling as she noted the younger woman's flushed cheeks and scowling in disgust at the sight. "I could tolerate the fact that you discarded the company's security team in favor of your own bodyguard, I could even learn to appreciate the need to learn hand-to-hand combat, but the fact that you two are romantically involved with one another is supremely stupid!" Winter would do her best not to completely lose her temper as her hands gripped a picture of the two sisters together during happier times, the gilded frame tearing through her blue glove and drawing blood as she winced in pain before her aura kicked in and mended the pain.

Weiss would grit her teeth in repressed fury at both her sister's unwanted intrusion as well as the impromptu lecture, gone was the feeling of happiness and inner calm only to be replaced by a cold, steely fury that she usually reserved for her father or some dolt who had managed to get under her skin. "Are you done pretending to be Mom, because if you are I really need to be getting dressed for today's proceedings."

Weiss would roll her eyes as she moved toward the closet and picking a powder blue dress skirt with a matching blouse and a modified version of her old bolero jacket, gritting her teeth as she felt her older sibling's gaze upon her back as she looked through her wardrobe. "You know, if you intend to keep checking out my ass Winter. I might as well start charging you per minute." The younger woman would sigh as she felt her sister's hand upon her shoulder in an attempt to spin her around to face her, lashing out with a hard elbow to the older woman's ribs before rising up to meet Winter's nose with a swift headbutt and smirking at the sudden appearance of blood coming from it.

"Ugh! Y-you head butted me! Like some piece of street level garbage!" The older heiress would stumble back while trying to keep the blood from staining her clothes, not expecting her dainty and well-disciplined baby sister to react so viciously. "It seems your training is certainly paying off, although it saddens me that you're letting it consume you this way." Winter would look genuinely distraught as she saw her younger sibling ready herself for a true fight, her stance widening as she used a glyph to summon a ghostly white pair of finger-less gloves on her hands.

"The only thing "consuming" me dear sister is the truth of how much I despise being trapped in this house like a captured canary, at least I have someone who understands what it's like to be caged like a prisoner and is teaching me how to deal with the anger of it all!" Weiss's icy blue eyes would stare coldly at the older heiress, seeing her as an enemy instead of family as she took a step forward. "All I ever wanted was to forge my own way Winter, and up until The Fall I was on my way to becoming someone different than just another Schnee!" The gloves would tighten as the pale-haired Huntress became angrier at Winter's aghast expression, unaware that internally the older woman's heart was breaking because of this statement.

"Weiss, I can't speak for our Father. But I myself never wanted you to feel trapped inside our home, the very home our mother adored almost as much as her own children." The older heiress would hear her voice crack as she struggled to keep the tears from falling from her steel gray eyes, not expecting such pointed words to rattle her as much as they were at the moment before turning on her heel and exiting the room without saying another word.

The younger heiress would sigh sadly as her gloves dispersed in sudden specks of white before slumping down against her closet door feeling suddenly drained by the whole ordeal, looking towards her clothes pile for her scroll as she instinctively called him in hopes of some support. _"How does he endure this kind of hatred, this disgusting vitriol in his soul!"_ She would frown in disappointment as she reached his voicemail and stared at the picture he had taken for his contact picture: wearing a finely tailored purple suit and giving her the finger with a cheeky smirk. _"Ever the anarchist…"_ Weiss would try calling him once again, knowing that she couldn't go to her sister after what had just transpired, and going to Father meant being read the riot act and probably getting him incarcerated.

Bálor would frown as his scroll vibrated for the third time in ten minutes as he was forced to ignore another call from Weiss, the heiress wasn't the kind to call obsessively just to tell him about how well her morning was going. _"Please forgive me snowflake, it's killing me not to hear your voice right now."_ The silver-haired man would stare down at the black sleeves of his tailored suit, catching the slight gleam of ice Dust that he had woven into the fabric of that one and a few other _s. "Although the General's going to feel that kind of pain personally if he doesn't hurry the fuck up-"_ The young man's murderous train of thought would be derailed as he caught the scent of sandalwood cologne on his nostrils as Ironwood finally entered the room, causing him to stand at attention purely out of practiced habit.

"At ease son, I didn't call you here today as a General of the Atlysian military. As of right now, I'm just a man headed to the gallows whose looking for a Hail Mary." The well-dressed man would suddenly look older as the true extent of just how stressed the situation was making him. "I know you're a man with a certain set of skill, the kind of skills that would make my superiors very nervous..and the more corrupt ones froth at the mouth."

The amber-eyed young man would keep a stone-faced expression as his scroll buzzed once again, his White Queen was clearly troubled and in need of some kind of support as the older man raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "With all due respect Mister Ironwood, can we move this along? I'm needed elsewhere and urgently as a matter of fact." His fingers would drum along his knees insistently as his scroll buzzed insistently once again, suppressing a growl as the smaller objects in the room began to clatter around.

James would take note of this and smile slightly as he slid a manila envelope toward the young man, watching shrewdly as he opened it and slowly began turning pale as the clattering stopped suddenly. "I took the liberty of having your information forwarded to me following your actions following the match involving Yang Xiao Long, imagine my surprise when you turn out to be a well-distinguished Lieutenant in the Vacuo military."

It was Bálor's turn to give a shrewd smile as he set the manila envelope down and slid it back to the soon to be disgraced General. "Very funny Ironwood, you've known that bit of information since Ozpin introduced us back at Beacon…and I passed out like a bitch." He would run his fingers through his silver mane in disgust as Ironwood collected the envelope with a satisfied smile.

"So now you know just how much Red's in my jacket, peachy. Now cut the bullshit and tell me what you need me to do!"

 _ **So now Ironwood has himself an ace in the hole, even though his superiors are all holding the proverbial "Full House". Can a single Ace change the General's fortunes, or is he destined to draw the Deadman's Hand?**_

 _ **Ta-Ta for now!**_


	6. The ties That Bind Them

_**Yeah, so it goes without saying that Weiss has the best character Arc in all of Volume 4.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Rooster Teeth owns RWBY**_

Weiss would remain silent during the long drive to the Atlysian Superior Court building, her argument with Winter weighing heavily on her conscience as she looked to her scroll with worry. Not even her father's weighted glare seemed to break her out of her silent reflection as she assessed the damage that her attitude had done to Winter, the look of disbelief she saw on her older sibling's face as she left the house ahead of them. _"The way she looked at me, like I was some kind of delinquent monster instead of her own sister."_ The heiress would look down at her scroll just in time to see a message appear on her scroll, at first she would be relieved to see that her pleas hadn't gone unnoticed by her guardian wolf. Although what followed further down the message would cause her wave of relief to become an ice cold brick of fear that lay at rest in her belly.

Bálor would be furiously typing on his scroll even as his eyes never left the good general, even though he was going over last minute preparations for what he might expect upon their arrival at the court house. _"It's bad enough that the bastard has me over a barrel and is forcing me to do his dirty work for him, but forcing me to stay mum about the situation to Weiss?"_ His typing would stop suddenly as he closed his eyes and took a calming breath, even as his mind reflected back on his see-saw relationship with the heiress up til now. _"God, if my past self could see me now..he'd probably kick me in the balls before trying to Super kick my teeth down my throat just for being so worried over Weiss's opinion."_ The wolf Faunus would save the draft of his earlier message to Weiss and calmly begin composing a new one, although he would set a specific time for this message to be sent as the tensions arising from this current situation went making for an ideal atmosphere for what he had in mind at the time. He would purposely let his mind wander back to his first real job as Weiss's bodyguard and de-facto right hand man as well as the incredibly awkward first meeting with the patriarch of the Schnee Dust Company.

He hated the man who was looking back at him from the other side of the mirror, gone was the rebellious prisoner who had first graced the halls of Beacon Academy while spreading his own brand of "fun" during his sparring sessions in the amphitheater and in his place stood the very antithesis of who he aspired to be: His silver hair would be combed back and tied into a dignified ponytail, dressed in a finely pressed and ironed silver-colored suit that was to be accented with a powder blue tie.

There was just one problem.

 _"I can't tie a tie to save my ass!"_ The amber-eyed young man would stare at the blue-colored neck noose with apathy, wondering if he still had time to back out of the deal and return his suit to the tailor. But a knock on the door would keep him from even thinking of leaping through the windows to freedom and causing the knot of nervousness in his stomach to tighten just a little bit further. "I'll be out in a minute Princess!" He didn't mean to sound as annoyed as he did, but having to be prim and proper when it comes to appearance was never high on his list of priorities.

"You've been saying that for the last ten minutes you lazy mutt and I don't intend to keep my father waiting, the man's already in a bad enough mood already thanks to the beating our company is taking in the press!" He could hear the contempt in the pale-haired woman's voice as she continued to rant over her familial woes even as he continued to stare at the powder blue piece of fabric, shaking his head in silence as he mentally kicked himself for what he was about to do. "-And the fact that I have to deal with his constant bitching and complaining about how this is affect his image is NOT being helped by your dilly-dallying!"

The wolf-Faunus would wait for about ten seconds just to ensure that the younger heiress had managed to dispel her grievances completely before letting out an audible sigh. "Weiss..I umm..I need your help in here please." He would blush furiously, knowing just what her reaction would be once she marched through the door. And as predicted the heiress would throw the door open with a less then satisfied noise erupting from her throat as she made her way into the room in a furious huff.

"I swear to Dust if your pants are anywhere besides around your waist I'm gonna-" Her threat would be left to hang in mid-sentence as she finally calmed down and took a good look at her antagonist turned protector. "I'm..actually impressed, you pull off that suit better than I expected you to." She would pause, expecting a tawdry remark from the silver-maned moron and was pleasantly surprised (and secretly horrified) when she received none in return. "Well if you're this far along in your preparations then why have I been waiting outside for the last ten minutes like an idiot?!" She would look him up and down once more, finally noticing the tie in his outstretched hand and rolling her eyes incredulously. "You're kidding me. You honestly don't know how to tie a tie, didn't you say you were in the military?" Weiss would make her way over to the embarrassed young man and snatch the tie from his outstretched hand before proceeding to help put it on him, a small part of her would scream that this would be the perfect time to throttle the wolf and get revenge for every bit of agony that he had caused throughout her time at Beacon. But she knew that without the various lessons that he brought to the table she would just go back to being Daddy's little press magnet, and in cases like this it would suit her to have a devil she knew like the wolf rather than the devil she didn't quite know in her father.

"Sorry, but the particular branch of the military I was involved with didn't exactly fit in with the black tie crowd. We were more "blam, blam, stab." Bálor would sigh internally at her scowl of annoyance, focusing instead on her light blue eyes and once again being amazed at a beauty he had failed to notice during their days as academy students. "But I doubt you care about the messier details of my life anyhow, just know that what I've been taught would make me competent enough to guard a high-ranking official in Atlas." He would blush slightly as she finished straightening his tie and was about to step away when she paused to take another good look at him, more than likely to inspect her own handiwork than anything.

"You know, I've never noticed it before..but I think that long hair of yours actually looks good on you. It makes you look more…distinguished." She would turn away quickly and leave the room before the amber-eyed Faunus could properly react to her words, but he could swear that there was the barest hint of a blush upon her cheeks.

 _"I'm pretty sure Hell must be freezing over right about now."_ Seemingly satisfied with getting a rise out of his would-be employer he would follow her out into the hall, from there it would be a crash course in the do's and don'ts in higher society doing his best to retain the knowledge until she got around to one particular rule.

"Like Hell I'm gonna hide my fucking ears woman! I don't give a rat's ass if your old man or the other prissy blue bloods have a problem with my appearance, if they see fit to use us as cattle in the mines then they damn well better get used to looking at us-animal parts and all!" He would growl audibly even as she rolled her eyes in response to his aggressive answer, skulking off further down the hall even as she gave her retort.

"Blake certainly had no problem hiding her appearance where it counted, I don't see why you'd object to doing the same!" The heiress would watch as he stopped dead in his tracks, it was no secret that he had nothing good to say when it came to her former Faunus teammate as the pair had both verbally and physically sparred with one another during the early months of his tenure at Beacon Academy and were especially contentious when it came to viewpoints involving the Faunus. "I only ask that you allow me that same courtesy, at least until Gideon has grown accustomed to our arrangement." She would let out a small huff of annoyance as she saw him turn back and approach her with a scowl not too dissimilar from the one she wore minutes earlier as she helped him complete his ensemble.

"The only reason Blake chose to sport that lousy bow is because of her own misconceptions toward humanity, misconceptions that you yourself seemed to have no problem living up to for a decent chunk of time if I remember the stories Ruby and Yang told me back in the day." He would take no joy in seeing the frustrated expression upon her face as she prepared to counter-argue, instead pressing forward with his own line of reasoning. "Business tyrants aren't any different from the military ones: All that matters to them is power and believe me when I say that I plan to demonstrate mine at their fullest…So what say you Master Schnee?" He would hide a smile, having heard the man step outside midway through her dragging Blake into her argument. Weiss on the other hand would be genuinely surprised to see her father, dressed in a white suit of his own and staring at the silver-haired Faunus inquisitively.

"I would say that for a pathetic little Faunus-union chief that you have quite the nerve in addressing my daughter like she was some common street-harlot, then again I suppose that's the best that filth like you could ever hope to marry into now isn't it young man?" Gideon would calmly and quietly speak into his lapel, unaware that the silver-maned antagonist could hear every word of his orders. "Now Weiss, please be a dear and step away from the riffraff before security gets here." He would chuckle in quiet triumph as he heard the familiar footsteps associated with his hired security force, unaware of just how determined the Faunus in question was determined to prove him wrong even as the first suited goon laid a hand on him.

"And here I was worried that I was going to have to pretend to be nice" The wolf would smirk defiantly before turning back to kick the first man in the gut before using his Semblance to send him careening into another two behind him. It was all instinct afterwards as stun batons came into play, twisting and flipping onto the wall before launching a bronze bust of what he assumed was the long-past Lady of the house before catapulting himself onto one of the more distracted individuals and relieving of his baton before turning it back on its former user.

 _"A man with one eye should not be able to react the way he does, if anything the affected area should be a huge blind spot. So how is he-"_ Weiss had busy watching the wolf's movements closely, this was much an audition in her eyes as much as it was Gideon's and as she continued to watch her least favorite Faunus dismantle her father's security team one by one she would notice subtle ticks in his body language. His ears would twitch every so often, his nostrils shrinking and expanding as if he were gaining a whiff of the scents in the room as he kicked another shock baton away from a security man that had decided to charge in. "I've seen enough, Bálor you can stand down now..you have more than most assuredly proven yourself capable of guarding my person." The heiress would watch on quietly as he finished disarming the last man of his baton before walking up to her and kneeling at her feet.

"Weiss, what is the meaning of this? Why is a Faunus chief of labor kneeling to you like some knight out of a fairytale book?!" Gideon would start to radio for more men before noticing the defiant look in his child's eyes, the Faunus in question would remain on one knee as still as a statue. "Boy, I demand you get up and remove yourself from this household before I summon the authorities to do so!" The patriarch would fume as the intruding Faunus continued to stay kneeling at his daughter's heel as the younger Heiress had turned to face him with an uncharacteristically cocky smirk before gesturing for the Faunus to rise, his anger peaking as the boy responded immediately before dabbing at his sweaty brow with the handkerchief in his breast pocket.

"Father, I'd like you to meet my personal bodyguard: Bálor Birugderc Moonlight, accomplished student at Beacon Academy and as you can see..more than capable of beating your best men, who are some of Atlas's finest if I remember your boasting correctly." Weiss would ooze satisfaction at having seen her father's personal henchman dismantled at someone he would no doubt deem lowborn trash, it was also a boon to her own ego that he would play the part of bodyguard so closely that upon gesturing he would once again kneel at her heels. "As you can see, he's completely subservient and willing to do whatever's asked of him." She would hold out her right hand, her ring finger sporting a cold blue sapphire ring that the wolf would calmly place his lips upon obediently while giving a smug smile, he was unknowingly playing into one of her darker revenge fantasies with this gesture and she was going to enjoy it for as long as she could.

Gideon would watch his daughter closely, not used to seeing such a look of ease since she had returned to living under his admittedly expansive roof. _"Hmph, she does seem to enjoying toying with this fool..and a distracted Weiss is less likely to fight any decisions that may come down the road."_ He would place his hands behind his back and give a muted smile as Weiss pulled her hand away, watching as the Faunus resumed his original position. "Very well Weiss, you may have this..guardian of yours, provided he helps you stick to the itinerary I've set out for you." Weiss would frown and look to her companion with some concern, wondering if he really would do as Gideon asked, but despite it all he made no move to affirm or deny the patriarch's request and instead leave the heiress to speak for him.

"I assure you father, he would rather die than dare have me be late for anything even by a minute!"

Back in the present, the wolf Faunus would finish composing the last of his time sensitive message to Weiss and set it in the message queue when he was confident of what he had written down. " _Sure that day was terrible enough by having to play a literal dog to her every command, but it made damn sure that I stayed ingrained in the household so Weiss and I could train in private..as for everything else that happened afterwards, maybe that's Lady Luck finally making up for dealing me such a shitty hand after all these years."_ He would return to the earlier message that he was intending to forward to her, spilling as much as he could regarding the current circumstances of his predicament with Ironwood using every kind of coding that he had taught her: From writing backwards to using the prison slang that he had grown up using behind bars, it was something few people outside of the two of them could even begin to decipher. _"I don't like scaring her like this, but I'll be damned if this whole plot of his has Winter's grubby fingerprints on it! I like who I am now, this man that Weiss helped me become is worth so much more to Remnant than the stupid mark who sauntered through Beacon's halls way back when."_ He would fire off the message before returning the scroll to his breast pocket and doing his best to straighten his tie as the car slowed to a stop, groaning as he expected the media rush outside their doors as he glared at the already beleaguered General as well as his dark-skinned associate who returned his hate filled gaze with one of her own.

"I understand your apprehension at what's being asked of you, but judging from your background-" Ironwood would stop short as the Faunus bared his fangs silently, grateful that the windows of their vehicle were tinted. "I promise you, as long as you honor your end of the deal then I'll be more than happy to honor mine." He would watch on in silence as the Faunus exited the car quietly after Ciel had, the latter quickly going to work as a good PR specialist even as the former kept back the more intrusive members of the media even as the military man took a last calming breath before finally getting out of the car.

"General Ironwood do you feel any regrets towards adding the extra security at the Vytal Festival?"

"General were the Atlysian military aware of the glitch that drove the Knights and Paladins berserk?"

"General is it true that once the faulty programming kicked in the affected machines begin to exclusively target Faunus?"

Before Ironwood could even begin to answer any of the questions being peppered in his direction, Ciel would jump in while Bálor urged him forward even as his hearing picked up on Soliel's practiced response to the Press.

"-eneral Ironwood is a decorated war hero and would never seek to actively harm another living soul, human or Faunus outside of combat, the tragedies that befell Beacon Academy were of a circumstance that no one could have planned for. And while we join the many people across Remnant in grieving for their loved ones, General Ironwood has total faith that today's proceedings will prove him innocent of any wrongdoing so that he can return to command and hunt down the true culprits responsible for The Fall." The wolf Faunus would smile and shake his head at her well-rehearsed manner of speech, wondering if she was that straight laced before Ironwood plucked her out of the Academy.

"Human pig!"

He would hear the voice coming from beside the General and turn just in time to see a barrage of eggs being hurled in their direction, holding out a hand he would stop them mid-flight before crushing them with a single gesture and gazing out at the group of Faunus preparing to load up more ammo and deciding to flatten their reserves with one concentrated show of force.

"Race traitor! How much does the General pay you to be his little lapdog?!" The dog Faunus leading the protesters would grow confident as his associates echoed similarly venomous sentiments. "Justice for our brothers and sisters who died during the Fall! Faunus lives are just as equal as the humans who died and yet nobody in the media talks about them!"

The amber-eyed Faunus would stare out at the sea of protesting individuals and debate on whether or not to just sic security on them or just ignore them outright, but as they continued to prattle on about justice for their fellow brethren that brought a look of glee to his face as he spotted the vintage jackets and finely dressed apparel that a good chunk of them were dressed in that he couldn't help but laugh.

"You. You dare to call me a traitor when you're the walking definition of hypocrisy, with your finely dressed jeans and nails I bet you never once had to struggle for anything unlike your so-called "brothers and sisters." Those are the true Faunus, from Vale to Menagerie there are real Faunus busting their asses from tail to antler just to make sure that their kids have a proper education and enough food on the table." He would pause in his speech to unwrap the heavy bandages that shielded his egregious eye wound from public view and smiling as he watched a few of them recoil in disgust, satisfied with their reaction he would then turn to the press and continue his speech.

"Ladies and Gentleman, the individuals you see behind me in no way represent the lives of those Faunus lost in The Fall. And as an individual who was actually present during those horrible events I can guarantee that if they were to try and represent the lives of those brave souls whose sacrifices enabled countless more to escape to safety, that they care rest assured that the families of those killed would waste very little time in making sure that the words of these charlatans are quickly and firmly discredited as the braying of spoiled, self-entitled sheep who are so bored of their lavish lifestyles that they would turn something as saddening as the loss of life into a heartless attempt to make themselves feel important in the eyes of their equally selfish compatriots." He would saunter off to the top of the steps of the courthouse, having caught the scent of Weiss's perfume even before the first egg was tossed while the protestors continued to hound the reporters for attention that they so richly craved.

"Well now you've done it, the press are going to have a field day trying to investigate you. Not to mention what will happen if the White Fang somehow manage to catch wind of this, are you really up to painting a target on your back like this Moonlight?" Ironwood would wait patiently for the young man's response, sighing as the silver-haired Faunus calmly followed his heiress into the courthouse. "Heaven help the poor souls who saw them enter together."

Once the doors were closed behind them Bálor would face Weiss with a nervous look upon his face as he noted the anger burning in her pale blue eyes. "So..did I get it right this time?" He would fidget nervously as he reached up to adjust his tie once more, only to feel the sting of a slap as his pale-haired lover glared at him with a silent rage before sighing and giving him a worried smile as she adjusted it into its proper position.

"It's close enough, you stupidly brave fool."

 _ **I swear to God the next chapter will be The Kingdom of Atlas v. James Ironwood but after everything that happened last episode I REALLY didn't want to delve into a long and dry court chapter but to clear up some questions that I'm sure are bound to come up: Yes, I'm fully aware that Master Schnee is named Jacques, I started this fic weeks before the V4**_ ** _premiere. I'm also aware that Weiss's mother is alive (and possibly a drunk) and I'm also aware of that little shit Whitley's existence too (and YES, he will play a role here but not in Addiction)_**

 ** _So with all that malarkey out of the way I direct you to the poll on my profile page that allows you folks to decide whether I keep writing exclusively RWBY fics, focus on Crossovers (that may or may not include RWBY), or go and stroll onto either Hyperdimension Neptunia, Black Rock Shooter, or Freezing for all of 2017._**

 ** _Ta-Ta for now, and F*ck you Whitley!_**


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